The second adam | a fresh start in Christ

I always choose the bad news first. I like to get it over with. I don’t want my ice cream before my Brussels sprouts. Just let me plow through the bitterness. I’ll deal with it, one bite at a time, and then I’ll savor my sweet ending.

And while there is beauty in the story of creation, Adam and Eve isn’t a feel good story. The fall of man, our betrayal and ultimate separation from our loving Father, it really is the bad news first.

Yet thankfully, that’s not where the story ends.

Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12-19 that without Christ and His resurrection, we can’t be raised from the dead. We are still in our sins. We are still separated from our Creator in this life and in death. We are still Adam. Now and forever.

Gulp.

But (and I’ve never been more grateful for a “but” in my life), Paul still gets to tell us the good news. And it’s the best news of all.

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:20-22).

God didn’t just leave us with our plate of Brussels sprouts, that Adam ordered for all of us, to heap on our plates, family style. God had a plan to rescue us. To win us back to His sweet table. And that plan, was a Second Adam. But this Adam was perfect and faultless. This Adam was His Son, sent as a Man, just like Adam, to undo what Adam had done. What you and I have done. To resurrect us in a way that Adam never could. This Adam was the last Adam the world would ever need. (1 Cor. 15:45)

God gave us the ultimate Good News. The Good News that cancels out any bad news. He gave us Christ. And in Him we are made alive. Now and forever.

Joining you from Maine this week. On the ‘trust’ theme from Nance (?), God has chided me a lot in the past few years saying calmly above my cries ‘trust me. I’ve got this one’ and wrestling the problems out of my hands. Again and again. And AGAIN I lay the problems at the foot of the cross. Is the problem a person? In your mind/heart, take them to the foot of the cross and leave them there. Then walk away. “I trust you, Jesus.”

This post was such a good reminder of the life I have in Him. I woke up feeling a bit overwhelmed and battling negative thoughts from the enemy, but reading this devotional today helped remind me that I have life in Him and that death has been defeated; that means the enemy’s lies have been defeated as well.

I’ve heard the story of God sending Jesus to die for our sins but I’ve never correlated it with Adam eating the forbidden fruit which separated human from God at first… So then God sent His Son Jesus to pay the ultimate price so that all if our sins going forward could be forgiven. You really learn something everyday. I’m so glad I have been lead by the Holy Spirit to embark on this journey of understanding.

This jumped out at me today: “If for this life only have we hoped in Christ, we are of all men to be pitied.” It is a shame that Paul had to remind the Corinthians that if the dead cannot be resurrected, then Jesus must not have been resurrected, and if that is the case, their faith is a lie. I pray that I strengthen my faith and not allow it to fall to such depths. I pray that my conviction in the fresh start given us through Jesus becomes stronger.

Kathrine that is one of my fav songs… This passage didnt speak to the first time I read but reading it again was like Wow! So thankful! Im read two devo a day trying to catch up with yu ladies but i love readibg the comments and yyr insight… Give me strength!

It is so comforting knowing that Christ sent his son for us. After reading your passage above, I wanted to shout AMEN! God is just loving and knowing everything his son was going to endure, he sent him here anyways for each of us. Such a joy!!

Everyone likes new stuff. It looks good, it smells good, it makes us feel good…that is for awhile until the excitement of the new fades.

I thank God that His new is eternal! He is sovereign and in control. Even when it looks as if there is no hope there is…we just have to have faith and believe. I thank God for Jesus, who always triumphs.

Nance, thank you for sharing your practice of saying "Itrust you Jesus" as a response to , well, everything!:) I want to work that into my daily life. I t's an encouragement to me that other women are praying the same prayer.

I don’t believe in Death any longer. Cos am made in Christ Jesus. And in Jesus we re made alive for ever. Therefor Death has being abolished for ever cos we shall not all sleep but shall be changed! PRAISE GOD

A big Thank You to SRT writers! The imagery of these devotions has been absolutely wonderful-I’m soo enjoying this Fresh Start!! I’ve been telling all the women I know , wanting to share this awesome plan, and God’s awesome plan for us! By reading daily about fresh starts my mind-set has been way more positive and I find myself really believing I can put the past behind me! Forgiving myself is the biggest obstacle. That my Loving Father DOES forgive me turns me into a puddle of mess from soo many tears of regret, sadness, happiness, joy, confusion, until I read these devo’s and all your comments that help me make sense of it all!! I get so much from them. Heather, Jennifer, Jeanette all had points that spoke to me today- Thank you, I appreciate your insights Ladies :)
Thank you Jesus for another day! Another day for me to learn Your word, to get closer to You, that I may know You like I know no other! So You are my First in EVERYTHING. You DIED for me, to give ME Life- Thank You sweet Jesus, Thank You!!!

After reading today's post I never really though of Christ as the second Adam….nor in my Catholic upbringing was I ever taught that. It makes so much sense that God sent his perfect and faultless son, Jesus, as the second Adam. Wow! I am beyond grateful for his sacrifices. Thank you for your words.

I'm thankful that Jesus Christ have a resurrection. If it weren't because of this, our salavation would be invalid and everything would be useless. I just thank God for Jesus Christ. For being the Savior of my life.

Heather, your words felt as if they came from my heart. My husband is a “just in case” believer- not one who truly has a relationship with God. I pray that God will work with them and lead them into a loving relationship with him.
This message today brought tears to my eyes. Our God is truly wondrous and amazing, and his love overwhelms me. We are blessed as believers. I smiled as I thought “a new and improved Adam

So thankful we KNOW that Christ is risen from the dead and can give us life! I was thinking this morning of all the Old Testament saints who had to have so much faith that One would come one day and undo Adam’s downfall. I am grateful to have faith in a Savior that already came to die for us!

I love this and I love how I can see Jesus as my Savior through today's devotion. Even in our guiltiness He came, and He not only came for us, He conquered the grave and was ressurected so that we can have victory over our sin and be raise up too. Thank you Jesus for coming, for saving, for redeeming, for giving us victory and for making a way for us to be with you always!

Talk about a fresh start! In the beginning man was in paradise until sin separated us from God. But, Jesus came and washed away our sins. He makes us fresh and new. He brings us back to God. Thank you Lord for our fresh start in Jesus.

Gotta love the conclusion! "The Good News that cancels out any bad news. He gave us Christ. And in Him we are made alive. Now and forever." Amen & amen!!!
I can't seem to stop smiling after today's reading:)

This passage reminds me of God's grace and mercy. Although Adam really messed up God loved us enough to give us round 2 with His Son! His death, burial and ressurrection gave us the second chance and the power to live boldly in Him! As such, he continues to bless us and His grace offers second, third, fourth chances! Thank you God!!

I have been given a challenge from another devo I do each morning and that is to make it a habit to say "I trust you Jesus" in response to whatever happens to you. Then if there is time, think about who I Am in all My Power and Glory; ponder also the depth and breadth of My Love for you.
This seemed to fit right in with new beginnings and today's lesson in 1Cor 15:12-28.
Thank God He loves us so much that we can have new life in Jesus and trust Him with our lives in every situation-good, bad, or ugly. Good morning Girls, It's back to work for me today!

Hello, could you tell me what your other devo is? That is such an awesome challenge and it is such a blessing to be able to just mouth that phrase and have the faith to trust in God. Life experiences can try us, but as long as we remember that we can always trust in Him, we will not have to worry because He is able and He will provide…thank you Jesus. Thank you for sharing Nance!

The power of resurrection!!!# We were dead I our sins BUT CAME ALIVE THRU CHRIST!!!! I have never thought about the fact he also resurrected us from it sins. We were made alive, new creatures ask because, of him. His love still amazes me! Thank you Father, for your resurrection and my own I love you

When reading today I am reminded of something once said to my {unsaved} husband when he asked a believer “What if when you die there is nothing & all that you have believed in is false?” Their reply was that if in the end this is all just a lie you still would have lived a good life. God’s principals make for great life rules. They said they would rather have lived a life in God & have it not work out than live a life in sin & have God be real. While I understand the sentiment behind that-that isn’t what Hod wants from us. He wants us fully committed to Him. He doesn’t want us half heartily. And for what Christ did for us, it’s the least we can do. God isn’t my security net just in case I fall off the tightrope of life-He is my all in all. Without Him there would be no life and I am forever grateful for His sacrifice through Jesus for my sins.

This truly is a remarkable thing to study and look further into. We had a double hit on this when I took Philosophy in my first semester of college. Taken at face-value, this is very simple to understand, but when dug a little deeper, things go haywire. Reminds me of Aristotle: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Wonderful analogy in the end.

Anniewiltse, thank you for that comparison! It is exciting to know that before the foundation of the world (and before the first sin), God had laid the plan to rescue us from ourselves. This is love, indeed!

I love, in 1 Cor. 15:45, the distinction between the first Adam being a living being and the last Adam being a life-giving spirit. We live because we're flesh, because we're descended from the first Adam. But we are made vibrantly alive only when we live in a way that mirrors the sacrifices and ministry of the last Adam.